As humans are becoming more conscious of the food they eat, how that food is fertilized, how it is harvested, how it is transported, and how it affects the planet, many are beginning see the value and urgency of controlling at least a portion their food supply by growing their own food.
Certain large-scale agricultural processes are often designed to maximize production and profits without holistic considerations of the natural resources used in the production cycles. For example, nitrogen-based fertilizers (often derived from fossil fuels) are routinely added to soil to maximize plant growth—but at a cost to the long-term viability of the soil. Fossil fuels are also used in transporting crops over long distances. Growing food near the location where it is consumed helps reduce transport costs, and it often provides a direct connection between the consumer and the farmer, particularly when the consumer is the farmer.
One of the challenges faced in modern society with growing urban population centers is the limited growing space available for crop production. The estimated land area needed to sustain one person ranges from about an acre to about 10 square miles, depending on the climate, number of growing seasons, and diet. However, many modern families don't have access to such large areas for farming, hunting, and gathering areas, so many continue to be dependent on the large-scale industrial farming complex for their nutrition.